everything-disorders

Definitions of Abnormality

Abnormality: Refers to mental illness, statistical deviation from the norm, cultural norms, and sociocultural perspectives that influence behavior. Understanding what constitutes abnormal behavior varies significantly across different cultures and contexts.

Dysfunction: Dysfunctional behavior that impairs daily activities, including work, social interactions, and self-care routines. This can manifest as an inability to perform tasks that one would normally be able to handle due to psychological distress.

Distress: Emotional pain and suffering that may be experienced as sadness, anxiety, fear, or hopelessness. This distress can be subjective; one individual may find a situation distressing while another does not.

Deviance: Behavior that deviates from societal standards, which can encompass a wide range of actions considered unacceptable or atypical within a culture, including criminal behavior, self-harm, and extreme emotional expressions.

Dangerousness: The potential harm to self or others, which may involve suicidal behaviors, aggressiveness, or other behavior that poses a risk to safety. Understanding the context of dangerousness is essential in assessing risk levels.

Theoretical Approaches to Abnormal Psychology

Psychological Approaches

Behavioral

• Focus: Observable behavior via conditioning, emphasizing the impact of the environment on behavior.

• Classical Conditioning: Learning through association, pioneered by researchers like Pavlov and Watson, illustrating how behaviors can be conditioned.

• Operant Conditioning: Behavior is molded by its consequences, demonstrating how rewards and punishments shape behavior (Thorndike & Skinner).

• Modeling & Observational Learning: Learning by observing others, as demonstrated in Bandura's studies, showcasing the powerful role of social learning in behavior acquisition.

• Exposure & Skills Training: Systematic desensitization techniques are employed to manage anxiety disorders, enabling individuals to confront fears in a controlled manner.

Cognitive

• Focus: Examines thought processes influencing behavior. Cognitive theories posit that dysfunctional thinking leads to emotional issues.

• Self-efficacy: Confidence in one's abilities and impact on behavior (Bandura). High self-efficacy can improve resilience against stress.

• ABC Model: Understanding beliefs about events, developed by Aaron Beck & Albert Ellis, highlights the connection between beliefs and emotional responses.

• Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT): Techniques designed to reframe negative thoughts and promote positive actions, widely effective in treating various disorders.

Psychodynamic

• Focus: Investigates unconscious processes and childhood experiences that shape behavior.

• Freud's Concepts: Key concepts such as Catharsis, repression, and the structural model of personality (ID, ego, superego) explain the dynamics of internal conflict.

• Techniques: Methods such as free association and interpersonal therapy (IPT) are utilized to uncover unconscious motivations.

Humanistic

• Focus: Emphasizes the inherent goodness of humans, believing in the potential for personal growth (Carl Rogers).

• Self-actualization: Personal growth achieved through self-discovery and fulfilling one’s potential.

Family Systems

• Focus: Analyzes dysfunctional family dynamics, recognizing that individual issues often arise from family interactions.

• Communication and Problem-solving: Emphasis on improving family communication skills and collaborative problem-solving strategies.

Third-Wave Therapies

• Focus: Combines CBT techniques with mindfulness approaches (e.g., Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)), promoting psychological flexibility and awareness.

Sociocultural Factors in Abnormal Psychology

• Socioeconomic Disadvantage: Financial stressors and cultural variance can significantly impact mental health, creating barriers to access resources and treatment.

• War and Minority Status: Experiences of trauma due to conflict, along with cultural stigmas, influence mental health diagnoses and treatment options. Understanding the impact of societal structures on individual experiences is crucial.

Biological Approaches

Brain and Neurotransmitter Influence

• Structural Abnormalities: Research shows biological foundations for mental illnesses, including differences in brain structure and function.

• Neurotransmitter Imbalance: Key neurotransmitters and their effects:

  • Serotonin: Plays a crucial role in mood regulation and emotional well-being, often targeted in the treatment of depression.

  • Dopamine: Involved in motivation, pleasure-seeking behaviors, and is key in disorders like schizophrenia.

  • Norepinephrine: Affects arousal, alertness, and is implicated in mood disorders.

  • GABA: Acts as an inhibitory neurotransmitter, inhibiting overexcitation of neurons and is significant in anxiety disorders.

Heritability and Environmental Interactions

• Epigenetics: The study of how environmental factors can influence gene expression and behavior, highlighting the complex interplay between genetics and personal experiences.

Treatment Methods

• Drug Therapy: Includes various medication types such as antipsychotics, antidepressants, mood stabilizers, and anti-anxiety medications tailored to individual symptoms.

• Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT): Considered for treatment-resistant depression, providing rapid relief for severe symptoms when other treatments have failed.

• Biopsychosocial Approach: Treatment that integrates biological, psychological, and social factors, recognizing the multifaceted nature of mental health issues.

Major Disorders

Major Depressive Disorder (MDD)

• Symptoms: Characterized by a persistent depressed mood, loss of pleasure in activities once enjoyed, significant changes in sleep or energy levels, and pervasive feelings of worthlessness.

• Subtypes: Include anxious distress, melancholic features, and seasonal patterns, highlighting the variety of manifestations of MDD.

• Prevalence: Reportedly affects approximately 16% of the population at some point in their lives.

• Treatment: Includes the use of SSRIs, cognitive behavioral therapy, and sometimes ECT for severe cases.

Bipolar Disorder

• Symptoms of Mania: Includes inflated self-esteem, decreased need for sleep, pronounced distractibility, and potentially irresponsible behaviors.

• Prevalence: Affects both genders equally and has a notable genetic component, indicating heritable links.

• Treatment Options: Common treatments involve lithium for mood stabilization, atypical antipsychotics, and various psychotherapies including Interpersonal and Social Rhythm Therapy (ISRT).

Personality Disorders

• Paranoid Personality Disorder: Characterized by pervasive distrust and suspicion of others; prevalence ranges from 0.7% to 5.1% of the population.

• Borderline Personality Disorder: Marked by emotional instability, intense interpersonal relationships, and fear of abandonment, necessitating comprehensive treatment strategies including cognitive therapy and dialectical behavior therapy.

Anxiety Disorders

• Panic Disorder: Defined by recurrent panic attacks that lead to avoidance behaviors influencing daily life.

• Specific Phobias: Presenting as irrational fears that interfere with everyday functioning.

• Generalized Anxiety Disorder: Chronic worry affecting individuals, particularly prevalent among older adults and women.

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)

• Symptoms: Characterized by obsessions (intrusive and distressing thoughts) and compulsions (repetitive behaviors performed to alleviate the anxiety caused by obsessions).

• Treatment: Typically involves medication alongside CBT focused on exposure and response prevention to manage symptoms effectively.